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For the Classroom

As teachers, many of us "know" that intrinsic motivation outweighs extrinsic motivation in effectiveness. However, we often resort to extrinsic motivation techniques, such as good grades and candy for doing well or detention and failing grades for doing poorly, in our own classrooms. Dan Pink, a career analyst, explains in this video what science has determined over and over again: "Traditional rewards aren't always as effective as we think." While his talk refers to the business model, it is definitely applicable to our classrooms. Enjoy!

Ken Robinson reminds educators, administrators, and policy makers to encourage creativity in the classroom instead of trying to squash it with standardized testing and rote memorization. This video is well worth the 20 minutes it takes to watch!

My classroom needed some of my personality. When I first started teaching, I tossed together some bulletin boards and didn't touch them again for 3 years! Instead, I focused my attention on the curriculum, lesson planning, and assessments. While these are obviously important, it became apparent that I was not taking full advantage of my room. The classroom environment should feel welcoming and safe, not sterile.